Combination lock



Jan. 30, 1934. w c DUNCAN Q 1,945,424

COMBINATION LOCK Filed June 3, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l liZZz'am C/L fiqazcm fliiarneys.

fnverzior Jan. 30, 1934. w c iB 1,945,424

COMBINATION LOCK Filed June 3, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 liiarnqs,

Patented Jan. 30, 1934 UNITED STA COMBINATION LOCK William Charles Norman Duncan, Mullewa, Western Australia, Australia Application June 3, 1932. Serial No. 615,225 7 s Claims.

This invention relates to a combination lock. Although not limited thereto, the lock is of particular utility for locking the switch of the electrical installation associated with automobiles. By the use of this invention it is possible to set the switch in the off position and to lock the same almost instantaneously without the use of a key. Furthermore, unlocking of the switch can be effected in an extremely rapid manner. The combination used can be changed without difiiculty.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the following drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan of the arrangement. with the front plate removed, but showing the operating lever and resetting member in dotted lines, al-. though actually they would be removed with-the front plate.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of' the operative parts, exclusive of the switch on the line AB of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, except that the combination, which in this case is the word lock, has been dialled.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, sectional on X-Y of Fig. 3, looking along the axis Y to the centre.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the switch and parts of the associated rings and combination plates.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the switch. I

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of a locking ring in which there are cuts that enable friction to be maintained, I

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of the combination lock as applied to the switch, part of the casing being broken away for the sake of clearness,

Figure 9 is a detail showing the construction of the resetting member in spaced elevation.

As shown in the drawings, there is a casing 10, provided with a plurality of short longitudinal projections 11, irregularly spaced towards the inside. There is a face plate 12, through the centre of which passes a short hollow stub axle 13 to which is attached an operating handle 14. On the inside of the face plate and attached to the stub axle 13 is an actuating lever 15 that towards its end is pivoted to a link 16, at the other end of which is a setting pin 17. The actuating lever 15 is provided with a protuberance 18. Normally held inside the casing in juxtaposition to the face plate there is a ring plate 19 that has a plurality of concentric walls 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. These form four circumferential grooves 25, 26, 27, and 28, this number being on the assumption that a four letter combination is to be used; The plate 19 has four sets of regularly spaced holes therein in alignment with the grooves above alluded to, each hole in each groove representing a certain letter of the alphabet. The grooves are for a short distance bridged at 29 where there are resilient deflecting members 30, 31, and 32, the purpose of which will become apparent at a later stage. Adapted to rest in each groove there will be a flat ring 33 extending for the full circumference of the groove. Each ring will be. provided with an upstanding projection 33 and it will have a hole 34 conveniently close thereto. The rings will also preferably have small cuts so that projections can be spread to maintain fric- 7 tion. It will also be desirable to provide the back of the rings with a plurality of countersunk depressions corresponding to the holes in the plate 19. Attached to the plate 19 there is a hollow shaft 35, whilst formed in such plate there will be openings through which cams 36 and 3'7, connected with a common shaft 38, will be adapted to move. When these cams are pushed from the front it means that they project through the back of the plate andexert a pressure against anything adjacent. Connected to the inside of the plate there will be a flat spring 39, the function of which will be referred to at a later stage. Adapted to turn around inside the ring plate 19 there is a resetting member 40 having rearward projections 41, and a rearward protuberance 42 that engages the spring 39. At the rear of the plate 19 there is what may be referred to as a combination plate 43. This is provided with a plurality of holes in four circumferential rows, each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. There are guide pins 44 that maintain the holes in the plate 19 in'alignment with the holes in the plate 43. The combination is set by inserting four pins, such as 45, 46, 47, and 48, into desired holes in the plate 43. Attached to the plate 43 there are looking wings 49.connected to the hollow shaft 50 that is also connected to the plate 43. The hollow shaft 50 slides over the hollow shaft 35, and a pin 51 and spring 52 cause a resilient pressure to be exerted tending to bring the plates 19 and 43 together. The hollow shaft 50 has a bearing 53 fixed thereto for a pin 54 operated by the end of the spring 39. There is a short fixed shaft 55, the end of which surrounds the end of the shaft 50 and it has recesses in which the wings 49 register when the plate 43 is away from the plate 19. On the hollow shaft 55 there is a bearing 56 for a stop 57 adapted either to be in the road of the wings 49 or else to be pushed clear thereof by the pin 54. There is an insulating disc, or the like, 58, connected to the back of the easing and rigidly held thereto with the hollow shaft previously alluded to. On the insulating disc there are suitable switch elements 59 and 60. The foot of the stop 57 is pushed back in the obstructing position by means of the cam-like face of an irregularly shaped 001m 61 that surrounds the hollow shaft 55. The collar 61 at one end terminates in switch-bridging exten sions 62 that complete the circuit when in the position shown in Fig. 6, whilst at the other end it has extensions 63 actuated by the wings 49. A switch-control knob 64 is connected to the hollow shaft 35. V

The switch-locking combination operates in the following manner. When it is desired to turn off the switch this is done by moving the knob 64 to the left. This is because the plate 43 and the plate 19 are together so that the wings 49 are clear of the recesses in the hollow fixed shaft 55, whereby turning can be effected to the off position. The handle 14 is then given a turn in the anti-clockwise direction and this has the effect, through the projection 18 on the lever 15, of the cams 36 and 37 being pushed out, which results in the plate 43 being pushed away from h the plate 19. Another result is that the resetting member 40 is also turned in the anti-clockwise direction and this causes the pins 41 thereon to bring all of the upstanding protuberances 33 back to the zero position, the rings being simultaneously turned. An incidental result is that the rearward projection 42 on the resetting member 40 presses against the spring 39 that extends outwardly from the plate'19 to where it engages the pin 54 and so pushes the pin 57 out of the road of the wings 49. The switch is now definitely locked. When it is desired to unlock the switch (assuming that the word lock is the combination decided on) the handle 14 is first moved to the letter L as marked on the face of the plate 12. (Actually in Fig. 8 only a few of the letters are shown for the sake of clearness.) The effect of moving the handle 14 to L is that the operating lever 15 on the other side of the plate is similarly moved. This results in the setting pin 17 fixed to the link 16 moving in the outermost groove and pushing against the protuberance 33 of the ring therein contained so that when the handle 14 is opposite the letter L the hole in the ring that is moved is in alignment with corresponding holes in the plates 19 and 43. The handle 14 is then moved back to the zero position and the stroke repeated until in alignment with the 0 position on the face plate 12. Theresult of this is that gravitational infiuence first results in the link 16 dropping down along the guide 30, so that on the new stroke being commenced the setting pin 17 now runs in the second groove and moves the ring contained therein until its hole is in alignment with the 0 holes in the plates 19 and 43. The action is repeated for the other letters C and K. When completed the effect is that under spring infiuence the plate 43 springs back so as to be up against the plate 19, that is to say, to the position shown in Fig. 4, this being possible because the combination pins 45, 46, 47, and 48 have a clear passage through the corresponding holes in the plate 19. The switch has now been unlocked as the wings 49 have been drawn away from the recesses in the fixed hollow shaft 55. The switch can therefore be turned on by moving the knob 64 which incidentally causes the collar 61 to push the pin 57 into the obstructing position. On the other hand the knob 64 may be turned in the reverse direction until the recesses in the plate 19 are registering with the short internal longitudinal projections 11 on the casing 10. (See Fig. 8, not shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5 for clearness.) When this stage is reached the locking mechanism can be withdrawn and the locking pins 45, 46, 4'7 and 48 reset in anew combination.

Summarized, therefore, the combination is locked by turning the handle 14 in one direction and unlocked by progressively turning the lever in the opposite direction so as to correspond with the positions representing the correct sequence of letters forming the combination.

I claimp 1. In a combination lock, a plate having a plurality of concentric grooves and holes corresponding to combination forming symbols, opening in said grooves; means received in said grooves for adjusting the combination; operable means associated with said means received in the plate grooves and 'engageable therewith for moving the same to combination setting position; and, means adapted to pass through the holes in said plate for engagement with the first mentioned means when set by said operable means.

2. In a'combination look, a plate having a plurality of concentric grooves and holes corresponding to combination forming symbols, opening in said grooves; a ring in each groove, said rings having holes adapted to be alined with the holes opening in said grooves; and means projecting on each ring whereby it may be turned to set the combination.

3. A combination lock comprising a plate having a plurality of concentric grooves and holes corresponding to combination forming symbols, opening in said grooves; a ring in each groove, saidrings having holes adapted to be alined with the holes opening in said grooves; a bridge over part of the rings; a series of guides formed on the bridge; and, a driving pin for progressively setting the rings in required positions.

4. A combination lock comprising a plate having a plurality of concentric grooves and holes corresponding to combination forming symbols, opening in said grooves; a ring in each groove, said rings having holes adapted to be alined with the holes opening in said grooves; a movable combination plate provided with a plurality of holes formed therein corresponding to the holes in said grooved plate; resilient means tending to keep the movable combination plate in juxtaposition to the other plate; and, combination pins adapted to be inserted incertain holes of the movable combination plate in predetermined positions.

5. A combination lock comprising a plate having a plurality of concentric grooves and holes corresponding to combination forming symbols opening in said grooves; a ring in each groove,

rot

said rings having holes adapted to be alined with I other plate; combination pins adapted to be inserted in certain holes of the movable combination plate in predetermined positions; and, a wing attached to the movable combination plate and holding the same against turning when the combination plate has been separated from the other plate.

a resetting member moving with the actuating member and having projections for resetting the rings to the zero position on turning in one direction; a spring attached to the ring plate; a pin connected to said spring whereby upon actuation of the latter by contact with the resetting member, to move the pin; and, a stop normally preventing turning in said one direction but engageable by said last mentioned pin to be moved thereby thus ceasing to be an obstacle against turning in said one direction.

WILLIAM CHARLES NORMAN DUNCAN. 

